Railway signal-torpedo



F. BUTCHER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO. APPLlCATlON FILED ocr. s. l9l5.

Patentad Aug. 15, 1916.

'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK BUTCHER, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR. TO CENTRAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY SIGNAL-TORPEDO.

Application filed October 8, 1915.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DUTCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signal-Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification,- reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in railway signal torpedoes the primary object of which is to form a torpedo by rolling the plastic explosive in a sheet of paper and flattening the extended ends of the tubular rolled sheet, and to double these ends back under the body of the case, thus serving to form a brake or stop against the passage of water through the ends of the flattened tube, and to provide a special construction for holding the rail-engaging strap to the torpedo case.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a torpedo, em bodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1 showing a modification in the manner of attaching the strap. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a sheet of fibrous material, and an explosive tablet showing the manner of wrapping the same therein. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of my improved torpedo showing a modified way of threading the strap in position.

In making this torpedo a plastic tablet explosive 1 of suitable shape is provided, and a rectangular sheet of fibrous material or paper 2. This sheet is laid flat on a suitable support and is coated with shellac and before it is dry the explosive 1 is rolled therein, the explosive being placed nearer one edge of the paper than the other, as shown in Fig. 4, for a purpose to be presently explained. As soon as the explosive is rolled in the sheet, and before the shellac is hard, the extended ends of the sheet are flattened and thus the wrapper or case conforms approximately to the shape of the explosive where it engages it, and it provides a body portion 3 with a long extension or flap 4 and a shorter extension or flap 5. The long flap or extension 4 is doubled under the bottom of the case 3, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2 and is of a length Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Serial No. 54,877.

about equal to the length of the case or body portion 3. The short flap or end 5 is then doubled under the adjacent end of the flap or end 4 and these are cemented together and the flap 4 preferably cemented to the bottom of the case 1. A rail-engaging strap 6 in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 passes between the long folded flap 4 and the bottom of the case 3, and the cement serves to hold it in position against longitudinal movement. Preferably the edges of the flap 4 are out out as shown at 7 to facilitate locating the strap in the process of manufacture.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the strap passes through an opening 8 which is formed between the layers of the long flap 4, and in Fig. 5 the strap 6 is threaded. through openings 9 formed in the long flap 4.

A torpedo of this construction is simple to manufacture; is waterproof, and a part of the torpedo itself holds the strap in position thereon.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An improved railway signal torpedo comprising a plastic tablet explosive rolled in a sheet of cemented paper with a short and a long flattened end, the long flattened end turned under the bottom of the torpedo case and cemented thereto, a railway strap held by the said folded end and the shorter extended end folded inward over the first said end and cemented thereto.

2. An improved railway signal torpedo comprising a plastic tablet explosive rolled in a sheet of cemented paper to a tubular form with a long and a short flattened end, the long end folded inwardly under the bottom of the torpedo, and of a length about equal to the length of the torpedo, a rail-engaging strap held to the torpedo by the said long folded end the short flattened end being folded under the bottom of the long folded end and cemented thereto.

3. An improved railway signal torpedo comprising a plastic tablet explosive, rolled in a sheet of cemented paper with a long and a short flattened end, the long flattened end turned inwardly under the bottom of the case, and of a length about equal to the bottom of the case, the long end having a strap receiving opening, a strap passing through comprising a plastic tablet explosive rolled in a sheet of cemented paper with projecting flattened ends, the flattened ends doubled under the body of the torpedo and one end lapped over the other, the flaps cemented to each other and to the body of the torpedo, 1;

and a rail-engaging strap held by one of the said flaps.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses. FRANK DUTCHER. Witnesses:

R. W. J UNKER, A. MACDONALD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

